Proudinsky became a repeat winner of the $500,000 Mervyn Muniz Jr. Memorial Handicap (gr. IIT) by a nose over El Caballo and Nownownow in a terrific finish at rainy Fair Grounds March 14.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Odds-on choice Pioneerof the Nile got the test he needed in preparation for his big showdown with The Pamplemousse next month, turning back a challenge in the stretch to win the $200,000 San Felipe Stakes (gr. II) at Santa Anita March 14.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
A sloppy track failed to slow Rachel Alexandra, who outclassed five rivals in the $400,000 Fair Grounds Oaks (gr. II) March 14.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Santa Teresita, surprise winner of the Santa Maria Handicap (gr. I) at odds of 13-1 one month ago, figures to be a considerably shorter price when she takes on six older fillies and mares in the $300,000 Santa Margarita Invitational Handicap (gr. I) March 14.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Pioneerof the Nile, heading into the $200,000 San Felipe Stakes (gr. II) March 14 as the West Coast's top Triple Crown contender, takes on an ambitious group of six up-and-coming colts at Santa Anita.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Einstein became the first East Coast shipper since Broad Brush in 1987 to capture the $1 million Santa Anita Handicap (gr. I), capitalizing on a perfect trip with jockey Julien Leparoux to defeat the late closer Champs Elysees.
Saturday, March 07, 2009
Gio Ponti, driving for the wire under a frantic Ramon Dominguez, got up just in time to nose the outstanding mare Ventura in the $300,000 Frank E. Kilroe Mile Handicap (gr. IT) on the Santa Anita turf March 7.
Saturday, March 07, 2009
Stalking Let It Rock emerged from between horses in deep stretch to score his first graded stakes win in the $150,000 Razorback Handicap (gr. III) at Oaklawn Park March 7.
Saturday, March 07, 2009
Champion filly Stardom Bound, seven wide at the top of the lane, got up in the final stride by a nose over unheralded Third Dawn to win the $300,000 Santa Anita Oaks (gr. I) for her fifth consecutive grade I win March 7.
Saturday, March 07, 2009A representative from the Magna Entertainment Corp. assured the California Horse Racing Board March 6 that the company "is not going out of business" in spite of its bankruptcy petition and that horsemen purse accounts and customer winnings will be paid on an ongoing basis.
Friday, March 06, 2009
Convincing Essex Handicap winner Prom Shoes seeks to make it back-to-back stakes victories at Oaklawn Park March 7 in the $150,000 Razorback Handicap (gr. III). The Jinks Fires trainee will face six rivals in the 1 1/16-mile test, including 2008 Razorback winner Jonesboro.
Thursday, March 05, 2009
Ventura, a stylish winner of the Santa Monica Handicap (gr. I) against her own sex last time out, will take aim at males when she returns to the turf for trainer Bobby Frankel in the $300,000 Frank E. Kilroe Mile (gr. IT) at Santa Anita March 7.
Wednesday, March 04, 2009
Stardom Bound, who could be headed for the Santa Anita Derby (gr. I) next month, puts her four-race grade I victory streak on the line in the $300,000 Santa Anita Oaks (gr. I) March 7.
Wednesday, March 04, 2009
Colonel John, winner of the Travers Sakes (gr. I) last summer, makes his 2009 debut as the slight choice in a diverse 14-horse field for the $1 million Santa Anita Handicap (gr. I) March 7.
Wednesday, March 04, 2009
With Magna Entertainment Corp. reportedly in financial peril, the California Horse Racing Board has called an emergency meeting March 6 to determine the status of the MEC-owned tracks in the state, Santa Anita Park and Golden Gate Fields, as well as the company's licensed advance deposit wagering entity, XpressBet.
Wednesday, March 04, 2009
Legislation linked to the long-delayed approval of the California state budget Feb. 20 could mean up to an additional $32 million a year for the state's beleaguered horse racing industry.
Monday, March 02, 2009
Battle of Hastings, an English-bred import making his second North American start for trainer Jeff Mullins, overhauled favored Flashmans Papers inside the final furlong en route to a 7-1 surprise in the $100,000 Baldwin Stakes (gr. IIIT) on the Santa Anita hillside turf course March 1.
Sunday, March 01, 2009Scorewithcater outfought Mine That Bird during a stretch-long duel to capture the $100,000 Borderland Derby by a neck at Sunland Park Feb. 28.
Saturday, February 28, 2009Stalking Proceed Bee collared odds-on choice Parade Clown mid-stretch and inched away in the final strides for a 1 1/4-length win in the $100,000 John Battaglia Memorial Stakes at Turfway Park Feb. 28.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Citizen, ridden by Jon Court, rallied along the inside to open a wide lead in the stretch and then held on by a head over fast-closing Flying Private in the $50,000 Mountain Valley Stakes at odds of 29-1 Feb. 28 at Oaklawn Park.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Trainer Julio Canani insists he doesn't have Derby fever yet. But after the way his The Pamplemousse glided to victory as the 1-2 choice in the $200,000 Sham Stakes (gr. III) at Santa Anita Feb. 28, that's going to be more difficult to believe as time marches on toward the first Saturday in May.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Rebates to wagering customers have become so widespread that the California Horse Racing Board is preparing to rescind its rule against the practice.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Parade Clown, winner of the WEBN Stakes in his last start, takes another step toward the Lane's End Stakes (gr. II) in the $100,000 John Battaglia Memorial Stakes at Turfway Park Feb. 28.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
The Pamplemousse, who knocked off favored Square Eddie by two lengths in winning the San Rafael Stakes (gr. III) last month, heads a dozen 3-year-olds entered for the $200,000 Sham Stakes (gr. III) at Santa Anita Feb. 28.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Spring House successfully defended his San Luis Obispo Handicap (gr. IIT) title on the Santa Anita turf Feb. 22, surging past odds-on favorite Zambezi Sun in deep stretch to win the $150,000 event.
Sunday, February 22, 2009Southern California shipper Mayor Marv leads all the way for jockey David Flores in the $100,000 Turf Paradise Derby Feb. 21, winning for Bob Baffert and Mike Pegram.
Saturday, February 21, 2009In his first ride at Tampa Bay Downs, Carlos Marquez brought Victory Alleged six wide into the lane to run down the leaders for a 28-1 surprise in the $142,500 Tampa Bay Stakes on the turf Dec. 21.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Love to Tell dictated the pace from the start under Justin Shepherd, catching her rivals napping en route to a 2 1/4-length upset victory in the $125,000 Bayou Handicap on the Fair Grounds turf Feb. 21.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Odds-on choice Georgie Boy turned the $150,000 San Carlos Handicap (gr. II) into a procession at Santa Anita Feb. 21 with a long sustained move from off the pace in the seven-furlong event.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Dunkirk, who made headlines before he ever started as a $3.7 million Keeneland September yearling buy, figures to be making many more on the track following his impressive 4 3/4-length win in an important 3-year-old allowance race at Gulfstream Park Feb. 19.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
French group I winner Zambezi Sun, in his first start since the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (Fr-I) last fall, makes his United States debut in the $150,000 San Luis Obispo Handicap (gr. IIT) on the Santa Anita turf Feb. 22 for trainer Bobby Frankel.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Heavily favored Jibboom, able to post soft fractions while dueling for the lead into the stretch, pulled away in the lane to score an easy 2 1/2-length win in the off-the-turf $150,000 Buena Vista Handicap (gr. III) at soggy Santa Anita Feb. 16.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Compared to Stardom Bound, the 3-year-old filly Evita Argentina found the nine males she faced in the $150,000 San Vicente Stakes (gr. II) easy pickings at stormy Santa Anita Feb. 16.
Monday, February 16, 2009Cape Royale led all the way to win the $150,000 Darley Ocala Breeders' Sale Championship for 3-year-old colts and geldings by 1 1/4 lengths Feb. 16. The race was the richest of five stakes held at the Ocala Training Center.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Favored Life Is Sweet hardly had an ideal set-up in the $200,000 La Canada Stakes (gr. II), racing at the back of the pack behind extremely slow fractions. But the full sister to champion 2-year-old filly Sweet Catomine refused to be denied, swinging to the outside under Garrett Gomez in the homestretch to overtake Magical Fantasy in the final strides at Santa Anita Feb. 15.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
If you saw Desert Code's dramatic come-from-behind win in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint last fall, this victory was nothing like that one. Instead, Desert Code took the lead shortly after the start of the $100,000 Daytona Handicap (gr. IIIT) Feb. 15 on the same hillside turf course at Santa Anita and was never threatened.
Sunday, February 15, 2009Peace Chant, a 6-year-old whose parents are Breeders' Cup winners War Chant and Safely Kept, scored the first stakes triumph of his career when he rallied from far back to capture the $100,000 Phoenix Gold Cup Handicap at Turf Paradise Feb. 14.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Santa Teresita, with just a minor stakes win previously, pulled a big surprise when she bettered a top-notch field of older fillies and mares in the Valentine's Day $300,000 Santa Maria Handicap (gr. I) at Santa Anita Park Feb. 14.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Chocolate Candy sweetened trainer Jerry Hollendorfer's Triple Crown hopes on Valentine's Day with the colt's first graded stakes win in the $200,000 El Camino Real Derby (gr. III) at Golden Gate Fields.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Duke of Homberg shook free in the homestretch under jockey Alan Garcia to capture the $125,000 Hallandale Beach Stakes on the Gulfstream Park turf for his first American win in four starts Feb. 14.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Royale Michele came from off the pace to win the $150,000 Barbara Fritchie Handicap (gr. II) Feb. 14 at Laurel Park, holding sway over unlucky favorite Seventh Street for her first graded victory.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Unbeaten Old Fashioned, at the top of many early prognostications for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), makes his 2009 debut in the $250,000 Southwest Stakes (gr. III) at Oaklawn Park Feb. 16.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
How's Your Halo, off at odds of 47-1, caught Ikigai in the final strides to earn his first graded stakes win in the $150,000 Richter Scale (gr. II) at Gulfstream Park Feb. 14.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
After her dominating win in the El Encino Stakes (gr. II) in January, Life Is Sweet stands out among nine 4-year-old fillies entered for the $200,000 La Canada Stakes (gr. II) at Santa Anita Park Feb. 15.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Desert Code, 35-1 upset winner of the inaugural Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint last fall, makes his 5-year-old debut in the $100,000 Daytona Handicap (gr. IIIT) at Santa Anita Park Feb. 15, regardless of whether the race remains on the hillside turf course.
Thursday, February 12, 2009A California appeals court has ruled that a racing steward does not have the right to take preemptive action against an owner who wants to scratch his horse even if the owner's request violates rules governing late withdrawals.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Chocolate Candy is not only the obvious hunch play on Valentine's Day in the El Camino Real Derby (gr. III) at Golden Gate Fields Feb. 14, he's the solid one as well.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
A dozen older fillies and mares take a shot at grade I glory in a deeply contentious renewal of the $300,000 Santa Maria Handicap at Santa Anita Feb. 14.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Magnum, a close second to Lava Man in the 2006 Santa Anita Handicap (gr. I), should get a second chance after his sharp upset win in the $200,000 San Antonio Handicap (gr. II) at Santa Anita Feb. 8.
Sunday, February 08, 2009
Cowboy Cal is headed to the Santa Anita Handicap (gr. I) in one month following his hard-fought win in the $250,000 Strub Stakes (gr. II) at Santa Anita Feb. 7.
Saturday, February 07, 2009